


Turnabout

by i_write_a_lot



Category: White Collar
Genre: Elevators, Friendship, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Other - Freeform, Pranks, Talking, Team, Trapped, pranks gone wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 07:19:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1460665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_a_lot/pseuds/i_write_a_lot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Neal irritates Diana one too many times while on a case, Diana decides that turnabout is fair play. Except that it backfires spectacularly, landing the two of them in some serious trouble…and also giving them the chance to talk things out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turnabout

**Author's Note:**

> -I do not own White Collar.
> 
> -Kudos, Comments, and whatnot are all very much appreciated. Thank you.

Sometimes Diana hated her job. 

While she absolutely loved White Collar, and all the exciting cases that she got to take, and her partner Clint was awesome, while her boss was the best and coolest boss she’d ever had, Neal could be a bit of a pain in the ass.

Especially when she went undercover with him, because then he acted charming and irritating and teased her constantly, and tried everything to get under her skin…at least, it seemed that way. 

So when the opportunity came, Diana attempted to trick him into getting stuck in an elevator while they were on a case, and would have left him there for a bit, as payback for one ‘joke’ to many. 

Except that it didn’t work out at all like she’d thought, and now she was in the elevator, with Caffrey, with no means of getting out any time soon, in a building that might be full of bad guys. 

Wonderful.

“You know, if you keep pacing, you’re going to wear yourself out that much faster,” Neal observed as he was slunked in the corner of the elevator. Diana had thought that she’d be able to not go in with Neal, but it seemed that Neal had been suspicious. He’d practically dragged her into the elevator with him, and once in her prank of the elevator getting shut down had worked…

Just…

Not in the way she’d hoped.

“Seriously, D, just sit down already.” Neal said, looking concerned as she paced. 

“My name’s Diana, Neal. Diana. Not ‘D’.” She said, annoyed. “And I don’t want to sit down,” She added, glowering at him. “I want to go home. I want to get into my nice, thick, steal tub that’s an antique and take a nice long bath while maybe reading one of the latest books that I’ve gotten and sip some wine. I was likely going to grab a cup of coffee on the way home, maybe some takeout dinner as well. Instead, I’m stuck in here with you.”

“And I know for a fact that you got us stuck in here to begin with, because Moz texted me,” Neal said, staring at her. “So this is, technically, your fault. You were really going to trap me in an elevator?”

“Long enough to make my escape,” Diana said, firmly. 

“Is being with me so awful?” Neal asked, his tone serious, and Diana sighed. She stopped pacing, and leaned against the wall of the elevator, fixing her sleeves so that they were shoved up to her elbow. She’d already lost the jacket, and now she was starting to get warmer. Maybe Neal was right about all that pacing, much as she hated to admit it.

“You can be very irritating sometimes, as I’m sure Peter has told you. You’ve been rather a lot irritating today. You won’t stop teasing me or listen to me when I tell you too,” Diana said, scowling at him. 

“And it doesn’t help that it’s obviously been a stressful week, either,” Neal said softly. Diana looked away. He didn’t know the half of it, so…

“My girlfriend broke up with me,” She muttered, and Neal sighed. 

“I’m sorry, Diana.” He said, earnestly, and sounding as though he honestly meant it. Then paused. “What happened?” He asked, obviously interested. 

“She and I didn’t have a lot of common interests. The sex was great, fantastic even…but…I was gone too much, and she wanted someone to stay with her 90% of the time,” Diana said, and Neal shook his head. 

“Didn’t she have a job?”

“Online writing career. She was a ghost writer, for the most part, but she also wrote novels and got them published,” Diana explained, and Neal nodded his understanding. 

Diana’s irritation was beginning to ebb, but she was still annoyed at Neal.

And at the stupid elevator.

“Well, don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find someone again.” Neal said, and then grinned. “Maybe you and I could go on a date?”

“No. We’ve tried the whole undercover thing, which was pretty much the same as dating. It didn’t work out at all.” Diana reminded him. 

“And not to mention you’re not turned on when you look at me, are you?” Neal asked, actually sounding mournful. 

Diana smirked, and he sighed. 

“Yeah, yeah, rub it in. I don’t often get turned down by women,” He said, pouting. Then paused and added, “Sometimes not even men,”

Diana rolled her eyes, and was about to say something when the elevator began to move. 

“Finally!” She exclaimed, happily. “It’s not to late to get done with work, and head home!”

“And away from me?” Neal asked, and she sighed. 

“Neal, I’m sorry…I really am,” She began, and Neal just smiled. 

“Diana, how do you think Peter feels? He’s spent more time with me, and I irritate him three times as much as I irritate you. I do it on purpose, just to see how far you guys are willing to go with it. It’s...” Neal frowned, considering. “You’re sort of like a sister that I’ve never had. I like teasing you, because I know you’ll usually tease me right back,” He said, earnestly, and she blinked. 

“You know, you’re right.” She said, surprised. The elevator finally stopped, and the doors opened to reveal Peter and team standing there. “Peter, hey…did you get the guys?” 

She asked, accepting a water bottle from Clint, who gave her a concerned look. 

“Yes, yes we did. You two did good work, except for getting stuck in that elevator.” Peter said, mildly. “Neither of you are hurt?”

“Just a bit overheated,” Neal answered, before Diana could. “Thanks for the rescue…dad,” Neal teased, and Peter spluttered as Clint chuckled. Diana couldn’t hold back the giggle, especially after their talk in the elevator. 

It wasn’t until they were well out of the building and she was on her way home that she realized…Neal was right. Neal and Clint were like the brother’s she’d never had. And while she’d had her parents, Peter was rather like an awesome bonus dad. 

They were her family.

And despite how annoying they can be (Neal) she figured she could put up with it, as long as she was able to annoy them in return.

~*~  
End

**Author's Note:**

> -No Diana's girlfriend isn't Christie in this fic, this came after Christie. I assumed that after the breakup, Diana would eventually find someone else again, and I decided to make this fic based on that decision. 
> 
> -Set sometime around season four.


End file.
